Waterloo grad students study sex work risks

Only 20 per cent of local sex workers do street work

Grad students at University of Waterloo and Wilfred Laurier say only about 20 per cent of sex workers in Waterloo Region work on the street. Most operate out of massage parlors or as escorts. (CBC)

A national study hoping to better understand the issues and safety risks facing sex workers is zeroing in on Waterloo Region.

Jenny Flager and Tania Ruiz-Chapman, grad students at University of Waterloo and Wilfred Laurier University, are part of a national two-year study looking at how policing and regulations affect the health and safety of local sex workers.

According to their early research, they say about 20 per cent of sex workers in Kitchener-Waterloo work on the street, while the vast majority are escorts or work out of massage parlors.

They spoke in-depth about their reserach with The Morning Edition host Craig Norris on Monday.